Breaking Barriers: A Persona Story
by Cadoz
Summary: Teenager Jason Streicho has recently transferred from the U.S. to Shiren High, a school in Japan, leaving behind a past filled with tragedy. Soon, he will discover that, despite his weaknesses, he may be the only one with enough strength to avert a terrible disaster. - This is a fic with a completely new setting and a new cast of characters, so treat it as a new adventure. Enjoy.
1. Flight

Persona: Breaking Barriers

_A Persona fanfiction by Cadoz _

Chapter 1: Flight

"Hey, cut it out Norah!" eight year old Jason Streicho yelled to his younger sister, Norah. She sat next to him in the back seat of the navy blue Streicho family Honda Civic, wearing blue overalls over her white shirt and shorts. At this moment, she was giggling and poking at her older brother Jason's shoulder. Her hair was tied up in a small, brown ponytail by a hot pink rubber band. She was attempting to emulate her mother, Jocelyn, who was currently sitting in the passenger seat at the front of the car reading a novel. Jason looked at Norah distastefully. He loved his sister, true, but her five year old antics wore down his patience quickly. Now she tugged at his yellow shirt with one hand and at his orange swimming trunks with the other.

"Jason, play with me!" she demanded, now losing her temper a bit. The Florida heat being absorbed into the car was putting everyone a little on edge. Today was the designated day for the Streicho family's weekly trip to the beach, something they each looked forward to in their own way. For Michael, the father, this weekly trip was an opportunity to spend some much needed family time. As the editor for the local newspaper, he didn't get a lot of time with his wife and children. Jocelyn, on the other hand, enjoyed a greatly needed respite from being a full time stay-at-home mother. She loved being able to sit under an umbrella and read the day away, leaving her two angels, whom she cared for very much, in the charge of her husband. The children, obviously, had different motivations for going to the beach.

Norah loved playing in the sand. Whenever she had an opportunity to be outside, she took it. She was a princess, after all, and the outdoors was her kingdom. As for her brother, he loved swimming. His mother would lovingly call him a fish, much to his chagrin. Any chance he had, Jason would jump into water. It was strangely freeing for him. Deep down, he hoped that someday he could be a professional swimmer for the Olympic team.

"OK you two, settle down. We'll have time to play at the beach. Let your brother be, Norah." Michael turned his head and used his stern voice. Norah decided it wasn't worth getting in trouble and went back to her Barbies. Jason grinned at his father, who returned his smile before looking back at the road. Michael and Jason were spitting images of each other. Both of them had the same deep, dark brown hair that constantly hung over their eyes. Their eyes, however, were different. Jason had his mother's jade-colored eyes, a point of pride for her.

Overall, Jason was happy. He had a loving family, good friends and a nice house, which was everything he ever wanted. His life was perfect. Norah looked at him now.

"Promise we'll play at the beach?" she asked, sticking out her lower lip. Norah loved spending time with her brother. Jason nodded, put his hand on top of her head and smiled.

"Of course, Nor-" he began, but stopped mid sentence as he looked out of his sister's passenger window and saw the silver Suburban truck in the lane next to them swerve in their direction. Norah looked at him now, and just before the car collided with theirs, she spoke.

"Why didn't you save me, Jason?"

Seventeen year old Jason Streicho woke up screaming on his bed. He sat upright now, sweat droplets falling from his bangs-covered forehead down onto his bare chest. His fists were clenched and his knuckles were white. He breathed heavily for a minute, then looked over towards his nightstand. There sat his digital clock. The emerald numbers illuminated his small room, showing precisely four A.M. It was time to get up, especially if he was going to catch his flight.

Jason flung off the blankets from his king sized bed. His legs were covered in sweat. He stared at them for a moment, then shimmied his black boxers off. Jason proceeded to put his right arm under his knees and slid himself to the right, so that he now sat on the edge of the bed. He stared at the object sitting in front of his nightstand, adjacent to his bed, waiting for him. It was time to put on his metaphorical shackles. He grasped the right armrest of his manual wheelchair and boosted himself into the seat.

As he proceeded to roll for his shower, which was several feet away, the words of his doctor rang in his head.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do. The nerve damage is irreversible. He won't walk again. Everything else will be normal, thankfully, but his legs won't ever be usable." eight year old Jason Streicho had heard his doctor say to his grandparents from the hospital hallway. At this moment, he lay in a hospital bed, staring at the ceiling blankly. It had been two weeks since he had lost everything. Since the crash. Jason felt empty. They had all said the same thing to him over and over again. "Everything's going to be alright." they said. They were wrong. Nothing was alright and nothing ever would be. He hated the world in this moment. Hated the doctors, hated his grandparents, hated the drunk man who took his family and now his legs from him.

"It's not fair…" he thought to himself as tears began to slide down his cheeks. Everything he had loved was gone. He had been a good kid, got good grades, was nice to all his friends and classmates. Fate didn't care. Jason was sobbing now, his wails echoing throughout the room. His grandparents ran into the room. They stared at the boy, who was now shaking. His grandmother came over and hugged him tightly, softly stroking his head. Jason's grandfather came over now and sat on the bed next to him, patting him on the back. No words were said, but they weren't needed. They knew his pain, for they had lost a son, a daughter-in-law and one of their grandchildren. Jason was not alone, even if he didn't fully comprehend it at this moment.

He lived with his grandparents in their one floor home for the next nine years. They loved him and cared for him the best they could, but, as was common with the people Jason loved, they were taken from him. His grandmother lost her life to cancer, while his grandfather died several years later by what Jason decided was a broken heart. That was two weeks ago. Jason had been staying in his home by himself, trying his best to be independent. However, today was the day that he was going to fly to Japan.

His aunt, Julie, and his mother's older brother, Stephen, were designated to take care of him. They taught English at Shiren High, a Japanese public high school located in Hoshiko City, which is in the southern part of the country. Jason had met them once before, at the family funeral. From what he could remember, they were quiet people. His aunt had a rather mousey face, with shoulder-length brown hair and dull brown eyes. He recalled, oddly enough, that she had exceptional posture, and always stood and sat straight. His uncle was on the other end of the spectrum. Stephen had untidy blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, was constantly slouching, and was very carefree. Or, at least, as carefree as you could be at a funeral.

Jason was now out of the shower, struggling to pull on his black cargo pants. Overall, his morning routine took an hour unassisted. The shower took thirty minutes when adding the roughly five minutes it took to procure towels and wrap them around the chair. Once he was done with the shower and getting himself to and from the toilet (which took all of his considerable upper-body strength), he got dressed. First, he would lift his legs from under the knees and set them on a stool in his room. From there, Jason would pull on his socks, black skate shoes, and pants. Today, the pants were giving him trouble. He sat there, yanking at the cargo pouches and grunting.

"God damn it…" Jason muttered to himself, his frustration starting to set in. It was this kind of thing that frustrated him the most. The helplessness invaded every aspect of his being. He bit his lip, now set on getting this done. Jason exhaled, then gave it another try, now sighing in relief as the obsidian colored cargo pants slid over his boxers. He proceeded to set his shoe-covered feet onto his footrest and smiled. It was a small victory, sure, but it made all the difference.

Jason pulled on his long-sleeved grey shirt and put on his signature navy blue beanie hat next. The hat was given to him by his grandparents when he turned thirteen. He had been complaining that all of his friends had baseball caps and flat-billed hats, which the popular kids preferred, and that he had nothing. Jason's grandfather, though, loved individuality. He wanted his grandson to feel special, to give him something to accentuate his uniqueness. Jason's grandmother felt the same way. In secret, she made the hat for him, which almost certainly pained her arthritic wrists. Jason recognized this, and treasured the beanie as a labor of love. As he pulled it on, now, his dark brown bangs just managed to peek out, dangling just above his eyes. He proceeded to grab his belongings. These included a black flip-screen cell phone, his blue backpack and his black suitcase, which contained his laptop, iPod, and several other belongings. Jason slung the backpack across the back of his chair and proceeded to pocket his phone and set the suitcase on his lap. He looked around his room for one last moment, wheeling himself in a circle. Jason paused as he saw something on his nightstand. It was a framed picture of his family, with him in the center, sitting in a chair in his old home's kitchen. Norah was there, sitting on his lap, smiling from ear to ear. His parents stood behind them, his mother's head on his father's shoulder. The grandparents were there too, standing on either side of their precious grandchildren.

Tears stung at Jason's eyes. He rolled over to the wooden nightstand and gingerly grasped the picture. Jason proceeded to put it in his backpack, wipe away his tears, and leave the house behind. In his grandparents' will, the house was given to him. He vowed to himself that, one day, he would return. As he rolled outside the home onto his driveway and towards the waiting handicap-accessible bus, he stared over his left shoulder at the beautiful orange sunrise. The boy sighed, thinking of the grueling flight ahead of him and, what he figured would be several dull, uneventful years overseas. Luckily, he was almost fluent in Japanese, thanks to tutoring from his mother at a very young age. He groaned out loud and rolled onto the bus ramp, which then began to elevate. Jason Streicho had no idea what an amazing adventure destiny had in store for him.

Once at the airport, he proceeded through security and the terminal, all the while avoiding the stares of the crowd of people around him. When he prepared to enter the plane, he sat and furrowed his eyebrows. He had never gone on a flight before, and he realized he had no idea what came next. As he was about to roll back to the front desk, he heard a voice from behind him.

"Sir, I can give some assistance if you would like." a dark skinned employee asked. He was wearing an airport uniform, which consisted of a red vest and black pants. Jason swallowed his pride and nodded. The man signaled for another employee to come give him a hand. Both of them proceeded to lift him up out of his chair, and brought him on board, sitting him in his designated seat in first class. Before they left, they informed him that all of his luggage would be taken care of, including his chair, which would be stored in the storage section also. They handed him his backpack and left.

Jason sat in the chair and yawned. Before he knew it, the plane was in the air, soaring amongst the clouds. He stared out the window and absent-mindedly sipped his glass of Coke that a stewardess had provided, the ice cubes touching his lips. As he set the glass down, he felt a wave of exhaustion roll over him. With the sixteen hour flight ahead of him, Jason Streicho decided to close his eyes and rest. The blackness closed in.

Jason was dreaming, of that he was certain. At the moment, he sat in his wheelchair inside of what appeared to be a blue movie theater. The screen in front of him was blank. Suddenly, blue curtains swept over the screen. Jason wheeled around, searching for the source of a chuckle he had just heard. The soft blue velvet seats were all empty, save for two figures sitting in the center of the room. On the left sat a strange, balding gentlemen with an oddly elongated nose. He was hunched over and wore a black suit with white gloves. His appearance was slightly unsettling to Jason. On the right was a tall woman who had a long, flowing blue dress. She had short cut blue hair, and giggled when she made eye contact with him. The man with the elongated nose began to clap.

"Welcome, my friend, to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor, and this is my assistant, Janet. What might we call you?" he asked once he finished clapping his gloved white hands. Jason stared, his mouth slightly agape. He licked his lips.

"This is one weird dream… I'm Jason Streicho. Why… am I here, Igor?" he asked, rolling toward their seats. Igor produced a deck of cards from his jacket pocket and grinned.

"You are partially correct – this _is _a dream, yet one where you are conscious. The Velvet Room exists between dream and reality. It is a place for you to come for guidance and… services. We are here to provide assistance on the journey you are about to embark on. However, before we can give assistance, we must tell you your fortune. Let's look at the cards, shall we?" Igor asked, tossing several blue cards in the air and leaving them to hover in front of him. Then, he touched two of them, revealing them to Jason.

"The upright Tower card shows me the immediate future. The reversed Sun card reveals to me… Oh my… It appears as though you are going to enter into a great struggle with great stakes… you will be depended upon. A cataclysmic event will occur, and it will be up to you, Mr. Streicho, and your inner strength to avert what I can only explain as… the end." Igor informed him. Jason sat, his teeth grinding, his eyes revealing confusion. Suddenly, Igor tossed an object to Jason. He caught it, and stared at a blue key.

"The end? I don't understand… Also, what's with the key?" Jason asked, holding the key up.

"This key will allow you to return here at any time. It is for guests only." the man told him, shifting in his seat. Janet smiled and began to wave goodbye.

"We will see you shortly, Jason! Do take care." she said, her voice coated in honey. Blackness once again began to cloud his vision. Suddenly, he felt himself being shaken.

"Sir?"

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. Pride

Persona: Breaking Barriers

_A Persona fanfiction by Cadoz _

Chapter 2: Pride

Jason Streicho awoke. At this moment, a stewardess was lightly shaking him. Her hand was softly clasping his shoulder. She wore a blue vest, with a black skirt. Her pale skin, along with the whiteness of the plane around him, stung his tired eyes. The stewardess's shoulder length black hair was contained under a blue cap. She stopped shaking him once she realized he was awake.

"Excuse me, sir, we will be landing in several minutes. Once we do, some staff will help you out. Is that alright?" she asked, quickly withdrawing her hand. He stared at her for a moment, his sleepy brain trying desperately to register the information being communicated. _I was asleep sixteen_ _hours? Damn…_, he thought. As he recognized this, a pang of hunger echoed throughout his stomach. Jason grimaced, then nodded, clearly embarrassed.

"Absolutely. Thank you…" he replied and proceeded to yawn and stretch his arms. Before he knew it, the plane was preparing to land. Jason felt a lurch in his stomach as gravity began to shift. His hands tightly gripped the front of his seat's armrests as the plane had a slight jolt. They had landed. He breathed a sigh of relief as passengers all around him unbuckled their seatbelts and got to their feet, chatting and shuffling around. As everyone exited the plane, he sat there, his backpack on his lap, staring glumly ahead.

"Excuse us, sir, we're ready to… err… transfer you." Jason heard a voice from behind him say. He turned his head and saw two men standing there, waiting for his permission. Jason reached up to his head, carefully removed his beanie, and proceeded to tuck it under his arm for safety. Then, he slung his backpack across his shoulders. He nodded to the staff members, who proceeded to both lift him up. As they carried him out of the plane, he felt a pain deep within himself. Anytime he allowed others to give him assistance, he felt hollow inside the core of his being. It wasn't that he was ungrateful, quite the opposite actually. Jason felt that, whenever he permitted help from others, his inner pride ebbed and eroded away. He hated the helpless feeling he got during times like this.

The men exited the plane with Jason in their arms and set him in his waiting wheelchair. They smiled and patted him on the back. As they did this, he put his beanie back on his head, his bangs once again peeking out and dangling over his eyes. Jason smiled and thanked the two men in Japanese. Their eyebrows raised in surprise, and they grinned in appreciation.

Jason proceeded to roll himself through the airport. Soon, he found his suitcase and set it on his lap. He was supposed to go and meet his uncle and aunt near the entrance. Apparently, they had rented a wheelchair-accessible van for him to be driven around in during his time her. As he wheeled across the carpeted floor, he stopped in front of the glass automatic doors, allowing them to slide open. His uncle Stephen was waiting at the curb with a black van. He smiled at Jason, who waved as he approached the vehicle.

"Hey there, nephew. It's been awhile. I hope your flight wasn't too bad – it's a long commute from Miami to Hoshiko City…" Stephen said as they shook hands. He had a strong grip for a lanky guy. Jason examined his uncle for a moment. He wore a white dress shirt, blue jeans, and black dress shoes. _Strange attire for early September. It's like forty degrees outside…_, Jason thought to himself, sighing internally.His uncle's blonde hair was untidy as ever, and was spiked up in places it had no right to be. _Still same old Uncle Stephen…_, Jason thought to himself.

"No, the flight was fine. I slept through most of it, to be honest. Where's Aunt Julie?" Jason asked as his uncle pressed a button on the car keys he held in his hand. The van's sliding door proceeded to open up, and a ramp slid out of the car, resting on the curb.

"She's waiting back at the apartment, probably making food. That said, we should get going. We don't want her in a bad mood when we get there…" Stephen said, anxiously tapping his right foot against the pavement. Jason was always able to tell that his aunt was the one in charge. She certainly did run a tight ship. Jason nodded and rolled up the ramp. On the floor were harnesses to lock his chair down, like the ones found in handicap-accessible buses. His uncle attached them and grinned at his nephew.

"Ready to go?" he asked, scratching his head. Jason nodded and Stephen returned to his driver's seat. He started the car and drove. For a few minutes, they sat in silence, the older man drumming out a beat on the steering wheel while Jason went on his cell phone. Then, his uncle decided to break the silence.

"How's your Japanese?" he asked in English, looking in the rear-view mirror at his nephew. Jason made eye contact with him.

"I think I'll be alright." he replied in Japanese, giving his uncle a reassuring smile and nod. Jason returned to his cell phone, checking if he had messages from his friends state-side. He was pleased to discover several. As he was replying to the various texts, his uncle spoke again, this time in English.

"You know, I think you'll end up enjoying Shiren High. They've been pretty generous, even going as far as installing one of the buses with a ramp for you. It took a little persuasion, but, you know me. I'm a people person. Plus, they couldn't really say no. I'm the student body's favorite teacher, after all." Stephen chuckled now, stretching his arms above his head as they reached a red light. All around them was a suburban sprawl. Towering buildings decorated with colorful lights and screens were scattered everywhere. Jason felt strangely comfortable here, and it was only his first day. Sure, it didn't quite emulate the Miami beach setting he was accustomed to, but at least the temperature would remain relatively warm.

Before he knew it, they had arrived at the apartment complex. Jason rolled inside as his uncle held the door. The manager at the front desk waved and then nodded as the situation was explained. Jason and his uncle proceeded to the elevator, and watched the 'call' button glow as the nephew pressed it. The complex was fairly high end. All around were nice furnishings, pieces of art and a modern, yet somewhat artistic design. _Not a bad start_, Jason thought to himself as they entered the elevator and went to the top floor. It wasn't at all like his grandparents' house, which was very old-school, decorated with antiques and valuable rugs, but he didn't mind the contemporary feel of the place.

Once at their designated location, they went three doors to the left of the elevator and entered room 824.

"Home sweet home! Let me show you around. On our left here is the kitchen, with my _beautiful_ wife. Hey, honey!" Stephen called into the open doorway on their immediate left. She came over and kissed her husband, then exchanged the usual pleasantries with Jason before returning to her kitchen duties. Uncle Stephen proceeded to lead his nephew down the hallway to the far wall, which had a guest bedroom on the right and the living room on the left. Stephen informed his nephew that he and his wife's bedroom was in the room on the far side of the living room. The dining room was reached through the kitchen. All around were contemporary decorations. But beyond that, it was completely spotless. _Damn, the place is completely clean. Aunt Julie must be a clean-freak… maybe OCD. There isn't a speck of dust __**anywhere**_, Jason thought to himself as his uncle showed him around the grey-carpeted living room. A forty inch flat screen television sat in the center of the room, perched on top of a wooden cabinet. Several feet away was a red sofa. Jason glanced around the room. The entire apartment had the same tan wallpaper.

Eventually, he returned to his bedroom, thanking his uncle and asking him to come and get him when dinner was served. He shut his door and looked around. On his immediate right, sitting against the wall was a king sized bed. It had a plain, brown bedspread and white sheets. The mattress was contained in a brown wooden frame. A bookcase sat several feet away covered in children's novels and picture books. As he set his suitcase on his bed, he recalled being told my his grandparents that Julie couldn't conceive a child. Now he looked at the books sadly, imagining the despair they must have went through when they found out. Jason soon discovered a shower in his bathroom and decided he would do a quick rinse before dinner.

About forty-five minutes later, he rolled out of his room as he heard a knock on the door. He exited, now wearing his beanie, a white shirt and black sweatpants. Jason rolled through the kitchen. The aroma of Italian food was permeating his nose. _Spaghetti and meatballs, maybe?_, he wondered, now excited a bit. Italian food was his favorite, and it certainly surprised him that his aunt and uncle potentially knew this. Through the archway in the kitchen, what he saw made his mouth water. Covering the table were loaves of garlic-cheese bread, bowls of spaghetti, an Italian salad and a tall pitcher of lemonade.

"Woah, Aunt Julie, you've really outdone yourself!" Jason explained as he rolled up to the table and joined them in eating. His hunger was overwhelming, and he found himself eating at a break-neck pace. Stephen and Julie chuckled to themselves and smiled.

"We have gelato in the freezer for desert. I remembered your mother telling me when you were little how much y-…" Aunt Julie began, but stopped as she realized the subject matter had struck a chord with her nephew. Jason sat, a bite of pasta frozen on his fork several inches from his mouth. All he could see now was the blood. He could hear the clashing of metal as the two vehicles collided. Norah's body crumpled before his eyes. Now he shook his head, blinking away tears. _Not here… not with them watching_, he told himself, biting his tongue. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, with the occasional small talk being interjected every now and then. Once he was finished, he thanked them.

"Thanks for the wonderful meal… it really is my favorite. Don't worry about what you said. It's my problem… I'm still to sensitive with that stuff. Anyway, with school starting tomorrow, I'm gonna go unwind and crash early. Please save me some gelato… Good night." Jason told them hurriedly and quickly wheeled himself back to his room, shutting the wooden door behind him. After brushing his teeth and getting himself to and from the toilet, he managed to get himself in bed with a lot of effort. He set his navy blue beanie on the wooden nightstand beside the bed and laid there, shimmying off his sweatpants and tossing them to the floor. Jason stared at the white ceiling for several minutes, his mind a whirlwind of memories with his family. Now, he grabbed the picture of he and his family out of his backpack, which lay on the bed near his feet. He held it in front of his face for a few moments, tears welling in his eyes. Jason proceeded to set the photo on his chest, covering it with both hands. He sobbed softly.

"I miss you all so much… so very much…" he whispered, tears running out of his eyes, staining his pillow. Jason shut his eyes and allowed the comforting blackness cover him like a blanket, shielding him from the sea of pain emanating from deep within his soul.

As he woke up the next morning to the sound of knocking coming from the door, Jason quickly got in his chair and showered. He pulled on his black cargo pants, a white polo, his black skate shoes and his navy blue beanie as fast as he could. Jason rolled out of his room, toothbrush hanging out of his mouth and called out to his uncle.

"Uncle Stephen! I'm gonna be late for the bus if I don't go now – forget the breakfast." he mumbled, now pulling the toothbrush out of his mouth and setting it on the counter. He spat his toothpaste in the sink and rolled for the door to the hallway, his blue backpack slung across the back of his chair.

"See you at school!" Stephen called after him, waving. He started teaching during the second period, so he had time to spare. Jason made his way to the elevator and got in, pressing the first floor button several times.

"Fucking thing, go faster…" Jason mumbled to himself. He couldn't stand being late. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. He wheeled himself across the lobby and out the door, just in time to see the bus pull up to the curb. The driver saw him approaching and pressed a button on a console in front of him. A ramp came down, waiting for him to roll onto it. He did so and gritted his teeth as it raised up at an awkward, slow pace. When it finally leveled out, he rolled onto the bus. As the ramp folded up into the bus behind him, he looked around. All of the other students were dead quiet now, their eyes burning into him. Jason looked around, his cheeks blushing, and rolled to the back of the bus where two harnesses waited, bolted to the floor. He strapped his chair down and stared blankly at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. Next to him was a black leather bench for people to sit. Three of the four students unbuckled their seatbelts and went to sit elsewhere. The fourth waved his hand dismissively at them and scooted down a bit, so that now he sat beside Jason. He touched his shoulder, startling the American. Jason looked over at him. The boy wore a red hoodie, blue jeans and white sneakers. Slung across his back was a black backpack and a large grey duffel bag. He had spiky black hair and pale skin. His eyes were light brown. Now his hand reached out, offering a handshake. Jason took it hesitantly.

"Name's Takeo Anzai! You're the dude from the states, Mando-san's nephew, right? I hope you speak Japanese. Hell, for all I know, you have no clue what I'm saying…" Takeo said, grinning and giving a chuckle. Jason chuckled a bit also, then replied.

"Nice to meet you, man. Yeah, I'm the dude, alright. I'm Jason Streicho." he said in Japanese, grinning. Takeo withdrew his hand and put his arms behind his head, stretching.

"Fluent, huh? That's cool. Shiren's a drag enough as it is. You don't want a language barrier, too. Hey, how about I show you around the school when we get there? I'll get you all set. You in year two or three?" Takeo asked.

"I'd like that, man – thanks. I'm in year two. You?" Jason asked, scratching his right arm.

"Likewise. Maybe we'll have the same classes – that'd be pretty sweet." he replied, shifting in his seat as the bus stopped in front of the school. It was a large, grey building with what appeared to be four floors. Takeo stood up while Jason undid the harnesses, then proceeded to wait for him outside while Jason used the ramp to exit the bus. Jason looked at him and nodded in thanks. The two of them entered the school, moving towards where the largest concentration of students had gathered.

"Excuse me, pardon me…" Jason began to say before Takeo began to push people out of the way. He turned around and gave Jason a quick thumbs up before continuing to clear a path to the bulletin board. As Jason looked at the listing, he saw that he and Takeo had the same classes.

"Sweet, bro, we got the same classes! Also, you gotta to meet my friend, Yuuko, this week. She's not really my type, but she's a babe, so that's a bonus. Here, follow me. Mr. Tagoshi's history class is on the third floor. We'll take the elevator." Takeo said and led him down the hallway. Jason glanced around at the other students, some of which smiled at him. _Cute girls, cool building, usable elevator… maybe this won't be so bad after all_, Jason thought to himself, grinning. He was relieved everything was working out so well. His whole life was comprised of disappointments, and he figured he was due for a break. Just as they rounded the corner and were about to approach the elevator, a hand shot out and pushed Takeo back. The hand belonged to a tall, muscular guy who wore a letterman jacket and black sweatpants. He had short black hair, tanned skin and dark brown eyes. Behind him were two other guys, both wearing basketball jerseys.

"Yo, bat-boy Anzai. We need you at practice today. I don't feel like carrying the bats around, so I guess it's your time to shine. Also, who's this scrub you got following you? Got a name, wheels?" the jock asked, chuckling. Takeo winced a little.

"Y-yeah, no problem Katsuro-senpai. I got it. This is Jason Streicho, Mando's nephew. He's new here, so I'm showing him around… Jason, this is Katsuro Itami. He's a third year here. Katsuro's a pro at all the school sports-" Takeo replied before Jason cut in.

"Hey, lay off of Takeo! No need to be a douche. And while we're at it, who the Hell are you calling wheels?" Jason asked, his fists tightening on his armrests. He hated jocks. They all acted like they were hot shit in Miami, and here he now knew was no different.

"The fuck did you just say to me, _gaijin_? I ought to beat the shit out of you right here on principal." Katsuro grunted, shoving Takeo out of his way. Jason thought for a moment, trying to remember what the word gaijin meant. Then, he recalled that it was the word for outsider. _Who the fuck does this asshole think he is?_, Jason thought to himself, now getting angry.

"No need for violence, you guys, let's calm down. Chill." Takeo said, now a little nervous.

"Anzai, you're not getting off that easy. But, I'm a reasonable guy. You bring _gaijin _here to the gym after school and apologize like men, no hard feelings." Katsuro said, a glint in his eyes. The two stooges behind him nodded.

"We'll be there, Katsuro-senpai." Takeo reassured him. The jocks nodded in unison and left.

"What a prick." Jason said, wheeling into the silver elevator with Takeo. As they entered, he went over to push the button, but paused.

"I don't get it… there are six buttons, but only five floors, including the basement." Jason said, clearly perplexed. He softly touched the button at the bottom.

"Maybe they did some renovations over the summer. I don't know. Just press the button for the third floor, man. We're gonna be late." Takeo pleaded, his hands now in his pockets. Jason stared at the button for a moment, feeling strange. Then, he shook his head and proceeded to go to their designated floor.

For the next several hours, Jason sat through lecture after lecture, which was broken up with a brief lunch break. The whole day, all he could think of was the button. _Something about it feels off…_, he thought to himself. He couldn't put his finger on what was so strange. Eventually, as their final class ended, the two friends made their way to the elevator for their meeting with the jocks. Once they were in the elevator, Takeo pressed the button for floor four.

"OK, we're gonna just go and apologize. Be cool, alright? The gymnasium's on the top floor." he told Jason, looking at him and waiting for a confirmation. Jason nodded. _I'll play nice, so long as he does too_, he told himself. There was no way he'd allow Takeo or himself to be insulted again. He didn't look it, but he had impressive upper body strength. Jason felt confident he could at least stand a chance if it came down to a fight.

Once they exited the elevator, the two boys proceeded to go right down the hall, then left. In front of them were the large wooden doors to the gym. Takeo gulped, clearly on edge.

"We'll be fine, man. Don't worry. We get in, say sorry, get out. Simple." Jason reassured his new friend. Takeo relaxed a bit, the tension clearly subsiding a bit, as evidenced by a slight change in his posture.

"Y-yeah… you're right. Get in, say sorry, get out… simple." he replied as he opened the doors. Inside, the three athletes stood, bats in their arms. When they saw Jason and Takeo, they grinned.

"You guys made it! That's great – it really is. Unfortunately, there's been a change of plans. We've decided to teach _gaijin_, here, a lesson. Most other students have left, and you can too, bat-boy. See, my boys and I were offended today. Weren't we, boys?" Katsuro asked, looking towards his two goons. They nodded, each having their baseball bat slung across their shoulder.

"We had a deal, man! Be cool! What about honor?" Takeo said, taking a step back, his duffel bag swaying back and forth. Jason had finally had enough. He looked at Takeo, then at the three jocks. _What a bunch of cowards… we can take them. If Takeo can handle 'Dumb' and 'Dumber', I could handle the big guy_, Jason thought, now cracking his knuckles and looking directly at Katsuro. Their eyes locked.

"I don't think these bastards give two shits about honor. We've injured their pride, apparently… Get two bats out of your bag." Jason snarled, now preparing to fight. As he held out a hand, expecting to grab a bat, he looked over to see Takeo frozen in fear.

"Jason… we need to get moving… Now!" Takeo shouted and turned, bolting away. _Damn it_, Jason thought as he sighed and wheeled after his retreating friend. Behind them, the footsteps of the jocks could be heard.

"You fuckers are dead! You here me, _gaijin_?!" Katsuro yelled from several feet behind. Jason narrowed his eyes and wheeled even faster. These guys would catch up soon, and he needed to make as much distance as possible in the meantime. Soon, he and Takeo entered the elevator, the latter repeatedly mashing the door closing button, and only stopped when the doors slid shut. The trio were quickly approaching.

"We need to hide somewhere they can't find us!" Takeo yelled desperately, his face wearing a look of terror. Jason's mind raced, thinking of where to hide. Then, a thought occurred to him.

"Somewhere… they can't find us…" Jason said to himself slowly as he jabbed the sixth button. Suddenly, the elevator jolted, seemingly free-falling down the shaft. Takeo fell to the ground. Both boys screamed as the metallic box plummeted down into the abyss.

"Are we gonna die?!" Takeo shouted, fear ripe in his voice. Jason honestly didn't know. _Is this it? I'll never have a wife and kids. Never return home… no way…_, he thought to himself, despair setting in.

"I don't kn-" Jason began but was cut off as the elevator came to a sudden stop, jarring the two students. Suddenly, the elevator doors opened, and a blinding white light blasted its way into the elevator.

**End of Chapter 2**


	3. Specter

Persona: Breaking Barriers

_A Persona fanfiction by Cadoz _

Chapter 3: Specter

The white light blinded Jason and Takeo, who both were now shielding their eyes. _What the Hell is going on?_, Jason thought to himself as he and Takeo remained silent, both confused and scared.

"Dude, we can't just sit here and wait… I think we need to leave this elevator. We already know it's not entirely safe, so the best course of action is gonna be figuring out where we are." Jason told his friend, still covering his eyes. A cold air now seeped into the claustrophobic space. Jason shivered. He hated the cold. Jason missed the overwhelming humidity of Florida. Miami, though, was far away now, and he suddenly felt homesick.

"I'm gonna try a button first… you never know." Takeo replied, blindly jabbing at the buttons on the console. Nothing happened. Takeo slammed his fist against the wall, cussing under his breath.

Jason grabbed his wheels, his eyes still closed, and rolled forward. Suddenly, he felt the glare from the light disappear. He opened his eyes, then gasped, looking all around.

"What the Hell…?" Jason asked aloud as he saw a new scenery in front of him. He now sat in the entry hall of what appeared to be some sort of strange building. The floor was made up of white tiles, the walls painted black and dripping with some sort of dark, tar-like gunk. Several feet in front of him was some sort of welcome desk, with a bell sitting on it. Jason stared at it and heard Takeo.

"Woah, Jason… what the…?" Takeo muttered, bewildered. The two of them sat there for a moment, examining their surroundings. Suddenly, they heard a loud crash from behind them. When they spun around, they were shocked to see the silver elevator doors completely shut, and no call button in sight. Takeo sprinted over to the doors and pounded on them for a minute, then kicked them and walked back to Jason, a concerned look painted on his face.

"It'll be alright, man… we just need to find another way out. I'm sure we'll be fine, really. Nothing to worry about, Takeo." Jason reassured his friend. In all honesty, he was scared. There was something strangely unsettling about this place, though at the moment he couldn't figure out what exactly was bothering him. Jason rolled up to the counter, now, and rang the bell. It was surprisingly loud, and stung his ears as its ding reverberated throughout the room. Suddenly, a segment of wall on the right side of the room receded and swung open, revealing a passage leading down. The two boys flinched, startled by this new development.

"Seriously? A secret passage? Come on, man, this is bullshit. It must be some kind of… I don't know, a Halloween funhouse or something!" Takeo exclaimed, stuffing his hands into his jeans' pockets. Jason looked over at the passage and watched as several torches mounted on the walls within lit up on their own. His uneasiness increased. He bit his lip, then rolled toward the passage.

"Something tells me we're not at school anymore, man…" Jason said quietly as the two of them entered the cramped space. The passage was lined with dark grey bricks, some of which were missing in various places. The air was musty and cold.

Eventually, they found themselves entering into a dimly lit room, lined with the same type of brick and filled with ominous black coffins. The stench of decaying corpses was everywhere. Jason had a sudden urge to vomit, but resisted.

On the far end of the room was a doorway with no door, covered in shadows. The light from the two torches in the room didn't quite extend that far. Takeo grunted and walked over to one of the coffins, poking at it curiously. Then, he began chuckling and looked over at his friend.

"Dude, I got it. These must be filled with rotten fish! It explains the smell. See? This is all just a joke. Mystery solved." Takeo smiled and patted the coffin, confident in his answer. Suddenly, two skeletal hands burst through the coffin and pushed Takeo to the ground, his duffel bag crashing on the floor, opened by the impact. Several wooden bats rolled out across the floor as the lid on the coffin was unhinged and thrown to the side. Out shambled a walking corpse. Flesh hung in loose strands from its body. It wore a mangled black suit. _A… zombie? No way… this is bad_, Jason thought to himself, now frozen in fear.

"Holy shit, man! Help me!" Takeo screamed as the corpse pounced on top of him. He pushed back at it with his legs and arms, struggling to stop his demise. The zombie gnashed its teeth, biting the air and growling like a rabid beast. Jason roused himself from his fear-induced paralysis, fixing his eyes on a bat that had rolled in front of his chair. He leaned forward now, grasping desperately at the weapon.

"Fuck! Come on! Almost there…" Jason grunted as his fingers stretched. He was doubled over, now, his fingertips hovering just above the handle. Takeo began to scream as his strength started to fail him. Jason grunted once more, cursing his chair and his circumstance. Frustration was just setting in as his fingers finally managed to grab the bat. _Got it! _He lifted it onto his lap and rolled toward Takeo and the ghoul. Jason raised the bat above his head and brought it crashing down on the top of the creature's skull. When the impact happened, the zombie de-materialized before their eyes, fading away in the form of a black mist.

Jason extended his arm and pulled Takeo to his feet. They both sat and stood there, panting and wiping sweat from their respective foreheads. Takeo looked at Jason and grinned.

"You know, life and death scenario aside, that was pretty badass, man. I mean, that… _thing_ was some scary shit, for sure, but you were pretty cool there. Thanks, man. I owe you one." Takeo thanked Jason, holding out a clenched fist. Jason grinned and bumped his right fist against his friend's, nodding.

"Anytime, man. I got us into this mess. Don't worry, though. We'll find a way out of this." Jason told Takeo as they withdrew their hands. Takeo proceeded to retrieve several of the fallen bats, putting all of them back in his bag, save for Jason's and the one he now was holding. Behind them, they heard slow clapping. The two boys spun, both raising their weapons defensively. A figure stood in the shadows of the doorway. It seemed to be a person, but they couldn't make out its face. Suddenly, it stopped clapping and held out its hand so that it would be visible in the torchlight. An index finger extended then retracted, signaling for the duo to follow. The hand now receded into the shadows.

"Yo, who the Hell are you? Wait up! I'm talking to you!" Takeo shouted into the darkness and charged ahead.

"Damn it, wait up Takeo!" Jason yelled, now wheeling after them into the shadows. After getting through the doorway, he found himself going into an especially claustrophobic corridor. _I don't like this…_, he thought to himself as he reached a wooden door painted black at the end of the corridor. Jason paused, grabbing the bat in his lap with his left hand and, with his right hand, twisted the doorknob and pushed.

The door swung open to a decently well lit room. On the far wall sat a metallic furnace, whose crackling fire was the sole source of light in the room. Next to it stood six black coffins, one of them considerably smaller than the others. The walls and floor were made of the same dark grey bricks as the past several areas they had explored. In the center of the room, facing away from Jason, stood a boy roughly 5'8" holding Takeo by the throat. He wore what appeared to be a black suit. On his head was a black beanie. Takeo's bat lay in pieces at the boy's feet.

"So good of you to come. We've been waiting." a distorted voice said. The black suited boy now threw Takeo to the side. He lay on the ground, now coughing and gasping for air. When his wide eyes met Jason's, they showed fear and confusion. Then, the boy turned to face his other guest. Jason Streicho's jaw dropped. He struggled to form words, but he was speechless. _No… that's… impossible_, he thought to himself. Standing just a few feet away from him was a mirror image of himself, save the clothes and the lack of a wheelchair. His foe smiled at him, chuckling.

"Hey there, me. Confused? I bet you are. Look at _you_. The original me is a sad cripple, huh? I can't say I'm impressed. Wait, where are my manners? Let's take a step back here. Or, I guess I will, not you." the suited Jason chuckled and approached his other self. Takeo attempted to stand now, but with a flick of the doppelganger's wrist, some unseen force made the boy fly back, now pinned against the wall.

"Takeo! Hang in there, man. I got this… Listen to me… whatever the Hell you are. You won't get away with this. I'm gonna kick your ass!" Jason shouted and swung his bat at the approaching figure. When the bat collided with the standing Jason's head, it snapped in two, its target not flinching at all. The suited boy smiled.

"Did I permit you to speak? You really have no idea what you're dealing with. Let me give you a taste before I explain your current… predicament." the doppelganger said as he grabbed Jason's collar and tossed him to the ground, kicking his side. Jason lay on his side, trying to boost himself into a seated position. _Damn it, come on…_, he thought to himself as his assailant now kicked him in the ribs. Pain shot through Jason's body. He cried out, now laying on his back, trying desperately to slide himself backwards. The doppelganger was laughing now. Jason filled with rage and fear, his eyes were daggers.

"Are you like that thing that attacked Takeo? Answer me! What… the fuck… ARE you?!" Jason screamed, his fingers digging into the ground. He hated feeling helpless. Jason denied himself of his fear, fighting off its hold on him. He glared at his double defiantly. The doppelganger stopped laughing now, a smirk fixated on his lips. He sneered down at Jason.

"Me, a shadow? Don't insult me. I am a specter, a living embodiment of your weaknesses. I _despise _you. Look at all of your imperfections. Day after day you struggle on, trying to fit in. Trying to be normal. Take your nice shirt for example. What a sad attempt at impressing your peers. Pathetic." the specter said, rubbing the heel of his dress shoe into Jason's white polo. Jason gritted his teeth, his knuckles now white. There was truth in what the specter was saying, that he couldn't deny. However, his fury flared.

"Fuck you. I don't care if you have a problem with me. Do what you want, just let Takeo leave. He's got nothing to do with this…" Jason said, now grabbing his foe's foot, trying desperately to push it off of his chest.

"Oh, what do you think he is, your friend? Takeo just pities you, that's the only reason he offered to help you out. I mean, let's be honest, who'd want to be _your _friend?" the suited Jason asked, removing his foot from the disabled Jason's chest. Jason's eyes widened, then narrowed in acceptance. _Pity?... maybe he's right_, Jason thought to himself, his will to fight draining.

"That's bullshit! He's messing with your mind, man. Don't listen to him!" Takeo yelled, still pinned against the wall by some unseen force. Suddenly, he cried out in pain, the force seemingly intensifying.

"Shut your mouth, you fucking worm. You'll speak when spoken to. Anyway, back to the main event. Let's analyze our dreams, shall we? You want to someday be just like dear departed dad. You want to have a family, perhaps a job with a newspaper. Let's face it, though. What woman would want to be with a man like you?" the specter asked, leering down at Jason. Something deep within Jason began to break. Tears stung his eyes.

"See? You know it's true. All you are is a sad, scared cripple who should have died with the rest of his family. Admit it!" the doppelganger now shouted, making Jason wince. Tears now flowed from his eyes.

"You're… you're right. I should have died there…" Jason said quietly, now shaking as his tears cascaded to the ground. His specter threw his head back, laughing happily. Black mist appeared in the air, surrounding the laughing creature from head to toe.

"Yes! Fantastic! I feel… great!" he shouted with glee, now obscured from sight in the mist. Jason felt empty, depression and despair setting in. Inside the mist, the specter's silhouette began to change, now growing taller and widening, his laugh becoming deeper. When the shadowy fog lifted, the creature standing before Jason now resembled a black reptile-like thing. It stood ten feet tall, its lower body that of a serpent, its torso black and scaly and its head still resembling Jason's, black beanie in tact. It slithered toward Jason, laughing maniacally.

"What… the Hell…?" Jason asked, tears no longer flowing, his eyes now wide in horror. The specter looked down at Jason, smiling, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth.

"Look at what you've done! I have to thank you: I never imagined you'd give into despair so easily. Don't worry, though. You don't need to suffer any longer…" the specter said in a mocking voice. He extended a reptilian arm towards the coffins at the far wall. That was when Jason noticed the names. A shiver ran down his spine as he read them aloud.

"Gerald Streicho… Agatha Streicho… Michael Streicho… Jocelyn Streicho… Norah Streicho… and…" Jason droned, now beginning to shake in fear and apprehension as the final coffin opened on its own accord. The specter looked at Jason, chuckling once again.

"And, of course, Jason, you complete the picture. I think you've struggled long enough. The time has come. I suggest you make your peace now." the specter approached, its teeth flashing in the torchlight. Jason pulled himself back as it slithered towards him. _I want to accomplish my dreams and to survive… but, how?_, Jason asked himself in his head, frantically dragging the dead weight of his legs. Takeo was screaming in pain behind him. _Think, damn it!_, he thought, now panicked as he reached the wall. The specter stopped in front of him, rearing its head back. Its jaw unhinged, revealing the rows of teeth once again. Then, as despair began to overwhelm him, two words Igor had said rang in Jason's ears. _Inner strength… that's it!_

"I… I don't want to die… I want to accomplish my dreams, to make friends, to fall in love with a woman and create a family of my own. It's true what you say – I am weak. However… I want… to **live**!" Jason shouted, a blue aura now surrounding him, whipping his bangs up in front of his navy blue beanie, as though a current of wind was encircling him. The specter flinched and recoiled a bit as it saw something appear out of thin air in Jason's right hand. Jason looked at the object, an azure sphere the size of a baseball. There was no confusion on his face, only a confident smile. He held it up in front of his face and, with his eyes glinting, he whispered the one word that was in his mind at that moment.

"Per…so…na!" Jason Streicho said as he forcefully threw the azure orb at the ground. It shattered, a new voice ringing in his ears as a figure began to materialize.

"I am thou… Thou art I… From the sea of thy soul, I come… I am Masao, of the Justice Arcana. My righteous flames will reduce your enemies at a distance to ashes, while those who come close shall taste the steel of my zanbato blade… I am at your service, Jason Streicho." a deep voice told him. The figure who had now appeared, Masao, was a human-esque being. He stood ten feet tall, wearing bright, reflective silver armor and a hood over his head made of some sort of white cloth. On his back was a massive zanbato sword, slanted slightly, which was as tall as him. His face was hidden by the shadows coming down from the hood.

"Just… die!" the specter hissed, spit flying from its mouth. Zombie-like creatures burst from the coffins, charging at Jason and Takeo. Jason chuckled.

"Masao… Maragi. Burn them." Jason said calmly, snapping his fingers on his right hand. Masao raised his right arm up, blue flames materializing out of thin air as he did so. In seconds, the zombies were incinerated. Jason smiled as Masao walked over to him, lifting him up and setting him back in his chair. The doppelganger stopped cowering, now shaking with rage.

"I'll kill you myself!" the creature screamed, leaping at Jason, its jaws preparing to crunch his skull.

"Masao, slice."

**End of Chapter 3 **


End file.
